Painter and printmaker Elise Wagner opens Finding Buoyancy, a new solo exhibition, at Imogen Gallery in Astoria this September. Wagner is internationally recognized for her luminous encaustic paintings and for pioneering the wax collagraph printmaking process through her innovative PrintWax materials.

Finding Buoyancy explores the intersections of nature, science, geology, cartography, and the passage of time. Inspired by the convergence of the Columbia River and Pacific Ocean — a view Wagner takes in daily from her Astoria studio — the exhibition reflects on resilience, adaptation, and navigating life's changing currents. The buoy emerges throughout the body of work as a central and powerful metaphor.

Join us for the opening reception to celebrate the debut of this new collection and to experience Wagner's richly layered abstract paintings in person. This exhibition arrives during an exciting month for Pier 11 Studio, the working waterfront studio Wagner co-founded in Astoria with painter Gabe Fernandez, as both artists open concurrent solo exhibitions — Wagner in Astoria, Fernandez in Portland.